Aspects of the present invention relate in general to remote system security, and more particularly, to secure methods for allowing access to remote facilities. Many organizations and entities operate remote facilities. These remote facilities may operate or monitor various types of equipment. For example, utility companies often operate substations at remote locations. The computing systems within these remote locations may be provided with connection to a network such as the Internet.
In some cases, for security purposes, certain computing systems within a substation may not be connected to the network. Access to such computing systems may be allowed upon correct entry of an appropriate password. Entities that operate such remote facilities often contract out maintenance work to be done on such facilities. In order to allow a contractor to perform the appropriate maintenance work, he or she has to be provided with the proper password and any other access criteria. Because some computing systems are not connected to the network, the password cannot be changed remotely. The password is often shared amongst several persons who wish to use the system. This defeats the purpose of having a password to protect sensitive cyber assets. Thus, providing access data to contractors can be considered a security risk according to a variety of security standards.